Handheld consumer electronic products requiring microphones have traditionally used the electret condenser microphone (ECM). ECMs have been in commercial use since the 1960's and are approaching the limits of their technology. Consequently, ECMs no longer meet the needs of the mobile consumer electronics market.
Microelctromechanical systems (MEMS) consist of various sensors and mechanical devices that are implemented using CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) technology for integrated circuits (ICs). MEMS microphones have several advantageous features over ECMs. MEMS microphones can be made much smaller than ECMs and have superior vibration/temperature performance and stability. MEMS technology facilitates additional electronics such as amplifiers and A/D (analog-to-digital) converters to be integrated into the microphone.